That day, a strong wind whistled by, and the portrait of Linglong on the Xiyu table in the Prime Minister's Mansion was blown up by the wind.
The paper in the portrait was extremely hard, flying and floating in the strong wind, but never damaged.
The portrait is like a light leaf, rising and falling in the wind, floating towards the distance.
It floats through the bustling streets, through the quiet alleys, and finally comes to a quiet forest.
The portrait slowly fell in the woods and hung on a hanging branch.
The sun shines on the portrait through the gaps of the leaves, as if it is covered with a layer of mysterious light.
In this woods, birds sing happily on the branches, and small animals shuttle and play in the grass.
The sudden appearance of the portrait brought an unusual atmosphere to this quiet forest.
The wind gradually calmed down, and the portrait hung quietly there, waiting for someone to discover it.
It seems to carry an important mission, which may inadvertently change a person's destiny.
On that day, a farmer named Ren Dabai walked into the woods with a tired face with a hoe on his face.
He planned to take a break here to relieve the hard work.
When he put down his hoe and was about to find a comfortable place to sit down, his eyes were suddenly attracted by the portrait on the branches not far away.
Ren Dabai's eyes widened in an instant, and his whole body looked blankly at the portrait as if he had been cast by a destiny spell.
"This... why is the girl in this portrait so similar to my daughter who has been dead for many years?" Ren Dabai's heart was filled with shock and confusion.
He slowly approached the portrait, stretched out his slightly trembling hand, and gently touched the face on the portrait.
His eyes showed endless longing and sadness.
"My daughter, you have been away from me for so many years, and I miss you all the time. Why is this girl so much like you? Could it be God's arrangement?" Ren Dabai's eyes gradually became wet, and tears rolled in his eyes.
His face showed an obsessive look, as if he was watching his daughter appear again in front of him.
"What the hell is this? Who is this girl? Why is she so similar to my daughter?" Ren Dabai's heart was full of questions, and he decided to figure out the origin of the portrait.
On that day, Xi Yu was riding on a tall horse and preparing to go to Fangjun.
He was thinking about Fang Jun in his heart, especially Ouyang Lian, whom he appointed but had never seen before.
"This time I inspect Fangjun, I must take a good look at what kind of person Ouyang Lian is."
The horse galloped, raising waves of dust.
Xi Yu straightened his back, sat steadily on the horse's back, looking straight ahead.
Xi Yu stepped into Fangjun and looked at the lively street market, feeling a little moved.
He led his horse and found an inn and walked in.
He handed the horse to the waiter and solemnly instructed: "Feed the horse well." The waiter nodded quickly.
Xi Yu found a quiet seat to sit down. The inn was crowded with people, and there were many people eating, and the seats were almost full.
Just as Xi Yu was thinking quietly, he came to him alone.
This man had a gentle face and a wise look in his eyes. He asked politely: "Brother, can I sit opposite you? I really can't find the seat."
Xi Yu nodded slightly and agreed, "Please sit down."
Xi Yu didn't know at this time that the person in front of him was Ouyang Lian who he came to see this time.
After Ouyang Lian sat down, he smiled and nodded to Xi Yu to thank him.
He looked at Xi Yu and was secretly guessing the other party's identity in his heart.
Xi Yu was immersed in his thoughts, completely unaware that the coincidence of fate was about to unfold in this small inn.
"My purse was stolen! That's all my belongings!"
There was an uproar in the inn, and everyone's eyes were all aimed at the shouting person.
I saw a middle-aged man full of anxiety and anger. He shouted loudly while scanning the surroundings eagerly.
The middle-aged man's shouts echoed in the inn, and a tense atmosphere spread out, as if a storm was about to sweep the entire inn.
In the inn, the originally lively atmosphere was instantly broken by this shout.
Everyone's eyes turned to the middle-aged man and the identified young man.
The middle-aged man looked angry and pointed at the young man next to the table, and shouted: "It's you! My wallet was stolen. I just saw you sneaking around me. You are a thief."
Anger burned in his eyes, as if he wanted to swallow the young man alive.
When the young man heard this, his face turned red immediately, stood up angrily, and retorted loudly: "You are talking nonsense! Why are you wronging me? I didn't steal your wallet at all."
Xi Yu and Ouyang Lian were also attracted by the sudden quarrel.
Xi Yu frowned slightly and observed the reactions of the two people calmly.
Ouyang Lianze showed a thoughtful expression, as if analyzing the truth of the matter.
The atmosphere in the inn became more and more tense.
The middle-aged man blushed and excitedly asked to search his body.
"You must search, otherwise how can you prove your innocence?"
The young man glared wide and strongly opposed: "Why should I search my body? You are slander!" His face was full of anger and reluctance.
Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, the shopkeeper hurried over.
He frowned and asked with a puzzled look on his face, "What's going on?"
The middle-aged man immediately pointed at the young man and said anxiously: "Shopkeeper, my wallet was stolen. I suspect it was him who did it."
The young man responded without showing any weakness: "He is a lunatic and wronged me for no reason."
The shopkeeper looked at the middle-aged man and the young man, and didn't know what to do for a moment.
His eyes showed a look of embarrassment, and he was thinking about how to resolve the dispute.
Other diners in the inn also whispered, discussing the right and wrong of this matter.
The middle-aged man glared at the young man and said in a tough tone: "Since that's the case, I'll report to the official! I want to see what the government said. Do you have the courage to go with me?"
The young man's face became even more ugly. He stammered his neck and said, "The matter has nothing to do with me, why should I go? If you want to report to the official, I will not be afraid."
The atmosphere in the inn became more and more tense, and everyone was waiting for the further development of things.
The shopkeeper sighed helplessly from the side, not knowing how to persuade the two of them.
Xi Yu and Ouyang Lian looked at each other and saw the same judgment from each other's eyes.
Their eyes were locked tightly on the young man, and the young man's eyes were flashing, which clearly revealed guilt.
The middle-aged man became more and more anxious. He shouted to everyone around him: "Look at me, I didn't wrongly accuse anyone! I dare to guarantee my life, it was definitely this young man who stole my wallet."
His voice was hoarse due to excitement, and his face was filled with sadness and anger.
Xi Yu frowned slightly, and there was already some guess in his heart.
Others in the inn also started to discuss, some began to suspect the young man, while others felt that the middle-aged man was too arbitrary.
The young man seemed even more panicked under the gaze of everyone. He stammered: "No... it's not me, you can't wrongly accuse the good people."
Just at this moment of tension, Ouyang Lian slowly stood up.
His tall figure and elegant temperament instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Ouyang Lian cleared his throat and asked calmly: "Don't argue with you two, tell me who are you?"
The middle-aged man hurriedly replied: "I am a nearby resident and make a living by doing some small business. I came to the inn for dinner today, but I didn't expect my wallet to be stolen."
The young man said reluctantly: "I am also a resident nearby. He wronged me for no reason. I am too unfair."
Ouyang Lian nodded slightly and looked at them thoughtfully, with some thoughts in his mind.
Xi Yu quietly observed Ouyang Lian's actions, full of expectations for his handling.
Ouyang Lian stared at the young man with a sharp look and said in a serious tone: "Why are you so afraid of body searching? If you really didn't steal, you can prove your innocence in this way."
The young man's face instantly became even more ugly. A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, but he was soon replaced by stubbornness.
He stubbornly said loudly, "I didn't steal it, but I didn't! Could it be that person who wrongly accused him of someone else? This is too unreasonable."
Ouyang Lian looked at the young man's reaction and felt even more suspicious.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and continued, "If you are really innocent, why should you resist the body search so much? This will only make people doubt you even more."
"I just don't want to be wronged. Why does he search for his body when he says he is searching?" Although his voice was tough, it could not hide his inner anxiety.
Ouyang Lian frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up and he thought of an idea.
He looked at the young man again and said firmly, "If the search proves that you did not steal, I am willing to take all the responsibility and let you deal with it."
As soon as these words were spoken, the audience was shocked.
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of incredibleness.
Ouyang Lian's decision was too bold, and people have to admire his courage and responsibility.
The middle-aged man didn't expect Ouyang Lian to say this. He was stunned for a moment, and then his face was full of gratitude.
"Young Master, you really touched me. If it is proved that this kid did not steal, I would be willing to kneel down and apologize to him."
A complex expression appeared on the young man's face.
Ouyang Lian looked at the young man's reaction and became more sure of his guess.
He smiled slightly and said, "How is it? What reason do you have to refuse to search now?"
The young man's face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't say a word.
In the inn, everyone's eyes focused tightly on the young man like spotlight.
The guests shouted: "Yes, search for your body! If you don't let your body search, it's a sign that there is a ghost in your heart."
Their faces were filled with righteous indignation and wanted to seek justice for the middle-aged man.
Ouyang Lian was carrying his hands on his back, his figure as straight as a pineapple.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the young man with a sharp tone, his tone was calm but with a sense of oppression.
"What do you have to say now? Although you make sense, others should not search your body at will, but now I and this elder brother have made a promise. What reason do you have to resist?"
The young man's face became paler and fine beads of sweat emerged from his forehead.
The atmosphere in the inn was extremely tense, as if it was about to break.
Xi Yu sat aside, observing all this quietly, with appreciation for Ouyang Lian in his eyes.
Under the strong pressure of everyone, the young man's face became extremely ugly.
His eyes were full of helplessness.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, slowly stood up, and said in a low voice: "Search."
The middle-aged man couldn't wait to walk forward, his hands trembling slightly and began to search.
After a while, the middle-aged man indeed found the wallet from the young man.
He held the purse tightly and asked the young man with cold eyes: "What else should I say now?"
The young man's body shook suddenly, and his face turned pale as paper.
Ouyang Lian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his wallet was found.
Others in the inn blamed the young man, and their words were filled with anger and contempt.
"It turns out that he is a thief, he is so careless!"
"I didn't learn well at such a young age, but I actually did such a stealing thing."
"This kind of person should be sent to the government and let him receive the punishment he deserves."
The accusations in the inn came to an abrupt end, and everyone's eyes were once again focused on the young man.
The young man was soon replaced by a desperate decisiveness.
He straightened his body and said loudly, "This wallet belongs to mine, why did I say I stole it?"
He knew that the excuse was far-fetched, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and persevere.
The middle-aged man was so angry that his face flushed, and pointed at the young man with a wide eyes wide open and said, "You are talking nonsense! This is obviously my wallet, how could it be yours?"
Ouyang Lian carefully observed the young man's expression.
"You said this wallet belongs to you, but what evidence is there?"
The young man's eyes flashed and he stammered, "I...I have always carried this purse."
The middle-aged man was so angry that he shivered all over. He widened his eyes, pointed at the young man angrily, and accused loudly: "You thief, are you talking nonsense! You dare to say that it is yours after stealing my wallet. Is there any reason for it?"
Everyone in the inn also shook their heads and expressed their shame for the young man's behavior.
"This person is too rogue. He doesn't admit it even though he has been searched."
"That's right, it's really unreasonable to steal things."
Everyone was talking and talking, but there seemed to be no better way to solve this problem.
The young man's face turned blue and white, and a hint of panic appeared in his eyes, but he still pretended to be calm and said, "I'm not cheating, I'm telling the truth. This wallet is mine."
Ouyang Lian frowned slightly. He looked at the young man and thought in his heart how to solve this problem.
Xi Yu sat quietly aside, observing all this with interest. He wanted to see how Ouyang Lian would deal with this difficult situation.
Ouyang Lian's eyes revealed a wise light, and he calmly said, "This is easy to deal with. Let me ask you two of you first what professions they do."
The middle-aged man replied without hesitation: "I am a cattle killer."
The young man seemed a little hesitant, and he stammered: "I...I don't have any legitimate job."
Ouyang Lian nodded slightly and continued, "Now you are not allowed to open your wallet, and then write down how much money is inside with paper. Please bring the paper and pen to the shopkeeper."
The middle-aged man immediately nodded in cooperation. He took up the paper and pen with confidence, and began to seriously recall and write down the amount of money in his wallet.
But the young man seemed very panicked, his hands trembled slightly, and he was reluctant to write.
But under the gaze of everyone, he had to bite the bullet and write on paper.
After a while, everyone's eyes were fixed on the two answers.
When Ouyang Lian asked someone to pour out the money in his wallet to check it one by one, the scene was silent.
But neither of them answered correctly.
A look of joy appeared on the young man's face, as if he felt that he had grabbed the life-saving straw.
There was pride in his eyes, thinking that he could not easily determine that he was a thief now.
Ouyang Lian frowned slightly, turned to the middle-aged man, and asked seriously: "What's going on?"
The middle-aged man suddenly realized and hurriedly said, "Oh, I remembered that I spent some money to buy things in the morning, so the amount in the wallet was wrong."
But the young man immediately accused: "You are just talking nonsense! This wallet is not yours at all."
The middle-aged man was not willing to be outdone and retorted: "Didn't you not answered correctly? Why do you say this is not mine?"
The young man's face was full of disdain.
He hugged his hands in front of his chest and said contemptuously: "I have never counted money and I usually don't remember it, so I can't remember anything strange?"
A hint of provocation was revealed in his eyes, as if he was declaring his innocence to everyone.
The middle-aged man was so angry that his face turned red. He pointed at the young man and said loudly: "You are clearly just quibbling! Who wouldn't remember how much money is in your wallet? You just stole my wallet."
Just as everyone was arguing, Ouyang Lian suddenly said, "The shopkeeper, come and take a basin of water."
Although the shopkeeper was full of doubts and did not know what Ouyang Lian's move was intended, he still quickly ordered his friend to bring a basin of water and did it seriously.
After a while, a basin of clear water was placed in front of everyone.
Ouyang even asked someone to put the currency into the water, and everyone looked at each other, not understanding what they were going to do.
A hint of nervousness appeared on the young man's face, while the middle-aged man was full of confusion.
Ouyang Lian looked at the curious expressions of everyone, smiled slightly, and said, "Don't be anxious first, I'll explain it to everyone later."
Xi Yu also looked at the basin of water with interest, and already understood Ouyang Lian’s intention in his heart.
Time passed by minute by minute, and everyone was waiting anxiously.
Ouyang Lian stared at the water basin with his eyes tightly.
After a while, he nodded with great satisfaction and then asked someone to fish the currency out of the water.
Then he greeted a few onlookers and asked them to take a closer look at the currencies.
Then, Ouyang Lian asked, "Have you seen any changes in water?"
Everyone approached to observe, with a look of confusion on their faces.
Chapter completed!